My vision is still "pretty vague"

OAKLAND, Calif. – James Harden's eyes were still red and burning well after the final ring.

He could hardly see on the pitch let alone read the boxscore after the match.

The defending champion hopes he will feel better a few days before the Western Rockets Conference semi-final series against Golden State on Saturday in Houston.

Harden scored 29 points on 9 shots for 19, seven rebounds, four assists and six turnovers. The eye drops that he received only helped a lot in relieving discomfort.

He injured his eyes with 6:39 remaining in the first quarter, grabbing his face after he and Green fought for a loose rebound and Green's left hand hit Harden.

"I can barely see. I just tried going there and doing everything I could to help my teammates, "Harden said. "It's pretty vague at the moment. Hope this improves day by day.

When Harden went into the locker room with 6:27 left and a towel on his left eye for a cut, Green patted him on the back and checked that he was fine. Harden came back at 7:09 of the second.

"We fought for a rebound. I made a mistake and I hit it in the eye, "Green said. "There is no question of hurting anyone here. So many times that people forget that when a guy is hurt, you live with it every day, every second of every day. It's not just about this game. If his eye is messed up, he has to live it every day. I just want to check on the guy. In the end, it's more than basketball in terms of injuries. "

Harden scored seven consecutive points in Houston during a stretch in the middle of the fourth inning, including a 3-7: 25 that allowed the Rockets to end up in the 92-89. Stephen Curry then connected to get a key 3 at 6:31.

Although he was still good, Harden did not seem completely comfortable.

"He fought against some things. The guy looked like he was not in great shape in the first half, so I think that may have cleared up a bit, "coach Mike D'Antoni said. "But it's done very well in the eyes. But it's him. I had no doubt that it would return to less than a disaster. I'm sure he would have liked to be able to play better. Under the circumstances, I thought he was playing well.